How to Manage Distractions at Work That Kill Productivity

Work life is not all smooth and nice. There will be distractions, disturbances and deviations. One need to be wise enough to avoid them, cross these hurdles and go ahead. These hurdles can be of any shape and size. These hurdles could be big or small. But one must always be ready to take control of them and march ahead.

Thus, when you come all committed to work and give a good 100 % to what you have done, you are met with all the possible amounts of distractions. There could be distractions coming in all forms like sound, space, personal problems…everything. You can be discouraged to the highest extent from working here, however this may not completely motivate you to work. Thus, the first step is to identify these distractions and then later work upon them. What could be the most possible distractions which you can face at work?

Top Ten Distractions in the Workplace:

1. Boss shouting:

If you have a cruel boss, your life is gone. Imagine, have to wake up, going to office and expecting to see the boss’s face first. How unwanted and unnecessary could that be to expect you to work in better mood throughout when you have seen such boss’s face. It is completely unnecessary and not fair from your side.

2. Unsupportive colleagues:

There could be two things which could happen here. Either your office workers or friends are too excited and overjoyed all the time that they would always take you and want you to have fun with them. Another thing which can happen is they could be so unsupportive and competitive that it becomes difficult for you to work. Thus, you would be in a fix at work totally.

3. Work timings:

For people who are working at government jobs and enjoying the leisurely comforts, timings may not such is an issue. But for people at private fraternities, journalists, entrepreneurs, printing guys, time is just another 24*7 at work. Thus, work timings matter a lot and it affects how you work too. May be if you are married and are involved with too much work from both sides. You are bound to get frustrated.

4. Hot colleagues/ crushes:

There can be many times when you are involved with or feeling love for your co-employees. There will be those times when you feel so involved with your co-employee that you will face so distracted at work. However, you will be expected to give the same output. For an environment with majority of boys ( engineering set up ), taking to a girl would like a thing they could spend 5 hours on in a day. Thus this could be the major distraction.

5. No proper facilities provided:

If at work you are not provided or given proper facilities, there could be nothing worse than that. If you are not given enough holidays, pick up drop facilities when late, not given enough remuneration facilities, no perks, no recreation activities, the office set up is bad with no services like an ac, no competition and no raises , why would anyone feel like working? These factors are a must to boost you enough to work otherwise they simply just end up being proved as distractions.

6. Unwanted stalkers:

People have faced problems like these when they were even asked to leave work. It is necessary and a must that your security is intact at your place of work. If you do not get that, it can affect your work, for people who work long hours, imagine what plight they would have to go through to know that they are being stalked continuously either inside or outside their office. It is a big, fat problem and a distraction.

7. No appreciation from the boss:

There is one thing when your boss is that cranky that you do not care to get a good word. But sometimes what can happen is that your boss would be praising someone else more than you. You try hard and have tried hard for years but of no avail. Thus getting no good report from boss can be one big let down and thus affect work very badly.

8. Your mobile phone:

Surveys have been conducted to show that you could have done the same work faster and produced a better quality if not provided with mobile phones. Yes mobile phones and messages can be a big time distraction. You would not want to reduce your chances of getting selected at the cost of that device right? People do not switch off their phones and continue working thinking they can manage both. This does not help most of the times.

9. Your relatives or friends:

There can be these unnecessary, unwanted friends who can just drop into your office whenever they want to. If you are newly married, you would end up seeing your spouse’s in the office too. They are too excited to see you that they cannot even control themselves before you get back home. Such uninvited visitors could be a big flop show while you are busy with work. One cannot expect such person to be productive if he or she has such unnecessary callings.

10. Being too involved with other things mentally:

This is the biggest problem any human being faces. This is a type of distraction which we create ourselves. Suppose there is a man who has been trying hard to pass a loan since three years for his son’s education abroad. You have given enough time and energy to it. There is hardly a chance for it to get selected but he has been calling and pestering those guys continuously. Such a man with so many thoughts in his mind is far from getting productive. He or she will be always bombarded with such thoughts and will never ever be able to give his hundred percent.

We tend to have many such men in the organization. The dual lives of home and work kill you and put immense pressure on you to work and be productive.

As discussed, if thought carefully, there can be a solution for every problem. If you put enough time in this and think carefully, solutions could be charted out for every problem. Here are some ways through which you can say no to these distractions and perform better:-

How to Handle Distractions at Work:

The first step to manage any kind of distraction would be first to identify them. Now you have to remember, be strong and encourage yourself to perform very well. Thus, start the process of working for good. Here are the solutions on how to stay focused at work and how to avoid distractions at work.

1. Tell the boss he is very good:

For all these years you have tried the simple way i.e plainly listen to his or her shootings. Now you have to try the opposite thing ….Go tell him or her that they are the eternal best bosses you could ever receive. Just go and tell him or her there could be no better boss than him/her. Once you have established this task, just notice the change on their faces. They are going to be more than happy. You will be amazed to know that they have done the necessary task for you and you are in a position right now to command anything from them.

2. Express and be happy:

If you have these over enthused friends, who have tried to get your support always and have tried to drag you with them, do not worry just know it is not that a big deal. Tell them that you want to concentrate on work better. If you are not able to express this feeling then just try sideline away. In little ways just pull yourself back but then appreciate their company or help them otherwise when they need you. They need to know you are serious about your work. This is one of the ways to stay focused.

3. Unsupportive colleagues:

If you have these jealous colleagues who wish to pull you down from work, do not worry. Actually, you must be happy first because you have these jealous counterparts that mean you are progressing. Always be wise and try to show it to others that they are doing it. Be wise and be two steps ahead. Do not take it to hear. You cannot be friends with all, accept.

4. Complain about the timings:

The work timings, if they are not suitable to your needs, then let your boss know it, say it aloud you are not happy with working so much. If you have that much work and can’t do anything about your timings, just leave the job and look for a new one where the timings are good, you can work in the same field. After all it is your choice.

5. Confess to your crush:

There can be two things achieved when you confess to your crush …he or she will respond or otherwise completely ignore, in any way you would have lifted the burden off your head. Thus, behave normal even if you do not have that facility, it is okay and be normal, completely. Go tell your hot crush he or she is indeed very hot. Thus you would have established the task of confessing.

6. Unhappy with facilities:

There can be two ways to deal with this situation. Either you go and tell the person, your boss you would want most of these facilities and get the signed from all the other colleagues. Or, you can believe that grass is always greener on the other side, look out for the positives in your job and pretend that you are happy till the time you find another better job. Very soon the authority will have to realize the penurious nature of work they give to you and they will be at a better position in any case to judge it themselves, do not worry.

7. Stalk the stalker:

Complain to the police, office authorities, get it checked, take actions, call your male colleague to be with you. This way at least you would stop the stalker from coming again and aging. If you have problems inside the office, make your boss see that he or she is doing something like that. When they take the necessary action, the problem will be solved. Thus, behave very strongly and nicely in such situations. Do not worry.

8. Boss is not appreciating:

Have a word with him or her. Tell him or her that your ultimate goal is to be productive and it can only happen when you praise him or her. Do not worry it is not that a difficult job to just appreciate because you want to perform much better. It can be attained. If you think that the boss is doing on purpose, ignore because God will find ways to give you that necessary appreciation in both ways.

9. Shun off your mobile:

Yes that is the ultimate solutions. You will need to shun off your mobile phone and concentrate on your work or job better. Cell phone use at work causes too many distractions.Tell your relatives and friends, if things are very urge and important, call on landline that way they will take the steps to be pro active and smart and avoid hassles.

10. Tell your family or relative the problem:

Talk to them that this practice is not allowed in the office hours and your boss is not going to entertain this anytime. Keep him or her away and you will see the required change. Talking about it can find solutions. Thus, you will be able to perform better your own job if you say it loud.

11. Meditate:

It is very necessary that you mediate well and be having positive if you really want to go ahead in life. Everybody has a dual personality of work and personal life. That does not mean you give up or just concentrate on one more. Tell yourself the very day that your day is going to go very good and you are not going to concentrate on anything else but work. Just believe in yourself and listen to music. Being positive always helps.

Thus these are some ways through which you can manage distractions. Remember staying focused at work well and things will get sorted for you. Trust on God and have a happy world life.